Abstract
In recent years, two main views of political Islam have been shaped; one view argues that political Islam is a modern and peaceful phenomenon that compromise is possible between Islam and the western modern concepts. This means political Islam is not only a traditional phenomenon, but also accepts the logic of western modernity. Another view believes that political Islam is a violent, non-democratic and traditional phenomenon. This means political Islam seems like an old-fashioned phenomenon that does not have any purpose except to refuse modern relationship and destroy the status quo.
According to the first view, political Islam will finally merge into western modernity formulated, meaning that the superior logic will eventually accept western modernity. In the second approach War and conflict between political Islam and Western modernity is inevitable, and the end of this war is destruction of political Islam against western modernity’s superior power. Conversely, this paper will suggest a third view. According to this view, the nature of Islam is not violent and undemocratic, and is not necessarily inconsistent with the western modern concepts. Although political Islam is a modern phenomenon, it has a deep root in tradition. Hence, it can be considered as a traditional-modern phenomenon which refers to the ideal of Islam in one hand, and the realities of the modern world on the other hand. The nature of political Islam is not violent, but it based on reason of divine wisdom which comes only from God.
In this case, what will happen to Islam’s future? This view holds the opinion that in the future, political Islam - according to his intellectual nature - will not merge into western modernity, nor overcome the discourse, but it will take advantage of the relationships governing international relations, and become a discourse among others. In other words, political Islam in the age of globalization, postmodernism (Decentralization) and multiculturalism will follow its own logic. The result is that political Islam as a traditional-modern phenomenon will not only attract negative context, but also there is a need for affirmative action; meaning that it will reproduce its own socio-political context which called religious democracy.